


Resolutions

by lar_laughs



Category: Twilight - Meyer
Genre: Gen, LiveJournal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-23
Updated: 2010-03-23
Packaged: 2017-10-08 08:42:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/74751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lar_laughs/pseuds/lar_laughs
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A New Year Drabble - written for the prompt "If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?" – Abraham Lincoln</p><p>Bella is having a hard time getting over the death of her beloved Edward and turns to Jacob for consolation.  Carlisle can't think of any other way to help her keep from sliding out of control.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Resolutions

"Don't feel as if you need to leave. You're welcome here as long as you want to stay." Carlisle patted Bella's hand, a gesture meant to bring comfort. She tried not to see it as a show of his strength, a reminder of what she no longer seemed to possess.

_Edward is gone,_ her heart reminded the rest of her with every beat. Nothing she could do would bring him back. Maybe if she sank her fangs into Carlisle's hand, he would finish her off so that she wouldn't have to think of a way to do it herself. For Nessie's sake, she couldn't make it look like she'd killed herself over even this horrendous heartache. If someone were to help her out, she wouldn't put up a fight.

"Thank you, Carlisle." Her voice was nothing but a whisper as her inner demons continued to war with each other.

"I know he meant a lot to you but-"

"You don't know anything about me," Bella spit out, pushing away his hand. "Edward didn't just mean a lot to me, he meant everything to me. His death ripped a part of my heart out that I don't think I'm going to ever get back."

"We all miss him."

Her face crumpled into a mask of suffering that was painful to see. Carlisle shook his head. He'd done all that he could for now. Perhaps there would be something he could do later to help her. Right now all he could think to do was fall back and hope for the best.

But there was someone who knew he could help. Jacob knew what Bella needed but he didn't like to come around when the others were trying to be helpful. Their presence made him growl, lashing out when they caused her more grief than it seemed she should have to bear. He would have taken this from her but she seemed to crave the pain as much as she craved the comfort.

_He's causing grief even in death_. He hadn't realized he'd let the thought formulate until he felt Leah's derision rise up.

_Two-faced!_ Her growl reverated through his skull but there was no one to lash out because she was miles away, on the outskirts of the Cullen's property. Even though they didn't need to patrol, he and Leah still felt the need to make the rounds. These days, Leah had been taking more than her share of the rounds.

_What makes you think I'm two-faced?_

Leah was following a scent through some bushes, her attention focused on the animal that had recently run through the area. Either she lost the scent or interest in the pursuit but it was several minutes before she was ready to answer the question.

_You sit with her, offering comfort, as if she might open her eyes and suddenly see you as her savior. On the other hand, you claim that you don't feel anything for her ny longer. But to do this for her, how can you not? Either you lie to her or you lie to me. You know I don't like it when you lie to me._

He shook his muzzle as if she was clinging to his back, her claws and teeth sunk deep in his flesh. Her words were every bit as annoying and painful as if she had attacked him from behind. They were much harder to shake off, though.

_I'm her friend. I'm helping her in her time of need._

The bark of laughter ringing through her thoughts was every bit as annoying as if she'd been standing beside her. He growled back in return but that only made her amusement increase.

_Help her all you can, Jacob. Just don't try to convince any of us you're doing it out of friendship. Maybe they_, she spit out the only word she used for the Cullens, _believe you. I, on the other hand, feel what you feel. You would be wise to remember that._

Before she could berate him more, Jacob took off for the house. He didn't care if the Cullens were done talking with Bella. Right now, he needed her touch to reassure him that what he was doing was the right thing for both of them.

Carlisle frowned as the wolf bounded into the room. While he had grown fond of the boy in both forms, he was still uncomfortable having him in the house with Bella still feeling so vunerable. He was well aware of the feelings the wolf had for the girl; the years hadn't dimmed them in the least. As much as Bella had loved Edward, he knew she also had never stopped caring deeply for Jacob Black.

It was the emotion coming from Bella that worried him. He understood the anguish that kept her from moving on. They all felt Edward's death keenly. If this was a case of simple mourning, he would have left her to it in whatever way she saw fit. But this was far more than a broken heart. This was an obsession moving from one heart to the next. She couldn't move on because Jacob was keeping her in the past. Short of killing the wolf, he couldn't think of any way to short circuit this downward spiral.

"Jacob," Bella murmured, digging her fingers into the wolf's thick pelt. It was like watching a drowning victim clinging to a safety rope.

Carlisle couldn't bear to watch this any longer. He had to find a way to help her without killing her spirit in the way. If she was going to make it out of this low point with her sanity in tact, she would need to distance herself from the boy. He would do what he needed to do no matter how much it would hurt her at the moment.

One of his children was in pain. He wouldn't stand idly by this time and watch her suffer. This time he could do something about the problem and damned if he was going to make it right this time.


End file.
